We’ll start by ranking all 12, weakest to toughest, and then follow (either Tuesday or Wednesday) with a look at the best games of each week … for all 14 weeks.

(Because of games on Aug. 26, there are 14 weeks of regular-season play.

(And because of games on Aug. 26 and the extension of training camp resulting from the elimination of two-a-days, some teams will start practice in July.

(But adding another playoff weekend in January would, you know, make the season too long.)

12. Washington
Noncon: at Rutgers, vs. Montana, vs. Fresno StateComment: The parade of creampuffs is followed by a conference lineup that misses USC, has an ideal bye (midseason), four of the last five at home and only one significant challenge: a short-week trip to Stanford. It’s too bad, really, that one of the top rosters in the country will face such modest resistance.

11. ArizonaNoncon: vs. Northern Arizona, vs, Houston, at UTEPComment: Another soft non-conference lineup, with depleted Houston (no Greg Ward or Tom Herman) providing the only notable hurdle — and it’s a knee-high one, at that. The Wildcats also miss Washington and Stanford, have a well-placed bye (after Week 4) and no short weeks in Oct./Nov.

10. Washington StateNoncon: vs. Montana State, vs. Boise State, vs. NevadaComment: The Cougars open with five in a row at home. That’s right: Five. In. A. Row. They don’t play a roadie until Oct. 7 (Eugene), which means a fast start is essential. They also get USC and Stanford in Pullman. There’s a short-week road back-to-back (Oregon and Cal) and a too-late bye.

9. Colorado Noncon: vs. Colorado State (Denver), vs. Texas State, vs. Northern ColoradoComment: Disappointingly-soft non-conference lineup — much like that of the Pac-12’s other defending division champion — gives way to an intra-league schedule that brings USC and Washington to Boulder and misses Stanford. The bye is late, before the season ender at Utah.

8. UtahNoncon: vs. North Dakota, at Brigham Young, vs. San Jose StateComment: Plenty to like if you’re a Utes fan, starting with no non-conference flights, an ideal bye (before Stanford/USC back-to-back) and three home games in November, when it will be nice and balmy in SLC. But there is one thing to not like very much: Utah and UCLA are the only teams that play both division favorites, USC and Washington, on the road.

7. Oregon StateNoncon: at Colorado State, vs. Portland State, vs. MinnesotaComment: The trip to Fort Collins was moved to Week Zero (Aug. 26) to assist CSU, but it creates two open weeks for the Beavers: in late-September, between dates with the Washington schools, and in late Oct. before a Thursday affair at Stanford. For a program hoping to build momentum, the schedule is manageable.

6. StanfordNoncon: vs. Rice (Sydney), at San Diego State, vs. Notre DameComment: The overseas trip is Aug. 26, which gives Stanford two weeks to prepare for the Sept. 9 date in the Coliseum. There’s a late-season short week against the Washington schools, but the back end of that assignment (UW) is at home. Only two road games in the second half (OSU and WSU).

5. Arizona StateNoncon: vs. New Mexico State, vs. San Diego State, at Texas TechComment: While Arizona dodges Stanford and Washington, the Sun Devils get both as part of a rugged four-games-in-five-weeks stretch that also has USC and Utah. (And as soon as it ends, the Devils get a visit from Colorado.) At least Texas Tech won’t have Patrick Mahomes and SDSU will be without Donnel Pumphrey.

4. OregonNoncon: vs. Southern Utah, vs. Nebraska, at WyomingComment: Trip to Laramie to face QB Josh Allen, a potential first-round pick, makes this much tougher than it might look. Then add Nebraska, a too-late bye (mid-November) and the difficult league road lineup (Stanford, Salt Lake City and Seattle). If not for the Ducks missing USC miss, they might have landed in the top spot.

3. CalNoncon: at North Carolina, vs. Weber State, vs. MississippiComment: Two dates against quality Power Five opponents? Welcome to Cal, Justin Wilcox. (At least the Tar Heels and Rebels will be breaking in new QBs.) The Bears also have a difficult road slate in conference (Washington, Stanford, Colorado) and the bye comes too late (mid-November) to provide much relief.

2. USCNoncon: vs Western Michigan, vs. Texas, at Notre DameComment: Potentially one of the toughest schedules in the nation if Texas and Notre Dame prove top-25 worthy. The start is challenging with WMU, Stanford, and Texas in succession, but all three are in the Coliseum. There’s no Oregon and no Washington, but those misses are offset by the fact that there is also no bye (for the fist time since 1995).

1. UCLANoncon: vs. Texas A&M, vs. Hawaii, at MemphisComment: Not the easiest lineup on which to produce a bounce-back season with Memphis serving as a sneaky-tough assignment (as compared to the obviously-tough duel with A&M). The Bruins also visit Stanford and USC and have the dastardly short-week road back-to-back, with late-season trips to Seattle and Salt Lake City.

Jon Wilner has been covering college sports for decades and is an AP top-25 football and basketball voter as well as a Heisman Trophy voter. He was named Beat Writer of the Year in 2013 by the Football Writers Association of America for his coverage of the Pac-12, won first place for feature writing in 2016 in the Associated Press Sports Editors writing contest and is a five-time APSE honoree.

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